A young man from Leikpoke village in Ye Township was severely beaten and detained by a military junta column that entered the area on November 15, according to local sources.
More than 200 junta troops advanced toward Leikpoke village and arrested a man in his early 20s who had been staying at a garden hut near the road. He was taken along the route and violently beaten, residents said.
“They arrested him on the day they entered the village. He was beaten very badly. Later that same day, village elders informed the New Mon State Party (NMSP), and NMSP soldiers came and secured his release,” one resident told IMNA.
The resident explained that village administrators had contacted NMSP officials for help. NMSP members then went to retrieve the young man and took him back. He was released that evening.
Due to serious injuries, the victim is now receiving treatment at the NMSP health department.
The military column entered Leikpoke on November 15 while Ye Blue forces were waiting to launch an ambush. A firefight broke out inside the village and lasted for more than an hour.
Because of the fighting, nearly the entire village fled to safety in nearby plantations and forest areas. Hundreds of people have still not returned home.
“Even though the village is quiet now, many people are still afraid to go back. We heard reports that the junta troops are moving again toward this area, but they have not come into the village yet,” a resident said.
After the clash, the junta column withdrew from Leikpoke but has continued pushing into nearby areas and carrying out arrests and extortion, according to witnesses.
Military operations in Ye Township have continued daily. Junta troops are now conducting clearance operations around Ahryutaung, Ywar Thit, Ywarkalay, and Taungzon villages.
